Real estate vet Mona Lowe is giving San Antonio a voice in the retail industry

There’s a new person leading the charge to build up the Alamo City’s presence in the retail game.

Mona Lowe has been named Texas Operations Chair for New York-based industry organization the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

In her new role, Lowe will serve as the voice of the operating, management, leasing and marketing sectors of Texas’ retail industry.

It is an opportunity to give a city like San Antonio an even stronger voice in the retail game, says Lowe, who is also the principal of Mona Lowe Consulting Services LLC.

“I hope to make this position an opportunity to give a voice and exposure to San Antonio — clearly an emerging forerunner city,” says Lowe, adding that she also is looking to bolster Texas’ place within the worldwide ICSC network.

Her one-year term begins on May 22 — which also marks the first day of the organization’s annual Global Real Estate Convention, or RECon, in Las Vegas.

Lowe, however, is not waiting for her official start date to get things moving. She has already reached out to various members of the local real estate industry to discuss relevant program topics for the upcoming Texas Deal Making Convention — which will be held in San Antonio Nov. 2-4. She also is working closely with Texas Program Chair Kendra Hinderland, to develop these programs.

Alamo City focus

The 2011 ICSC Texas conference marks the event’s return to San Antonio — which had served as the host city for the event from 2001 through 2009.

The deal-making conference brought thousands of retailers, developers and brokers to downtown San Antonio each fall. It was a chance for local players to show off the best that San Antonio had to offer.

Last year, however, the conference went to Grapevine, located in the Dallas metro area.

And while the conference is coming back to the Alamo City this year, the task now is to try and ensure San Antonio’s place as the host city for the Texas event in the years to come, says ICSC Texas Operations Chair Lowe.

Besides bolstering San Antonio’s presence within ICSC, Lowe also is building recognition for the organization among local businesses. Later this month, Lowe will represent ICSC at the fourth annual Real Estate Expo, which is sponsored by the College of Business at the University of Texas at San Antonio. ICSC will join other area businesses and organizations that will be on hand to discuss internships and career opportunities available to students in their respective fields.

Barn raising

A group of young construction professionals have kicked-off a two-year community service project to restore the nineteenth century dairy barn located in a North Central Side park.

Members of the Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) spent this past Saturday cleaning up the barn, which is located on the grounds of the Phil Hardberger Park. This cleanup effort marked the first step in a plan to restore the 1,500-square-foot barn to its former state.

The CLF is the young professionals organization of the San Antonio chapter of Associated General Contractors of America.

The barn was formerly part of the dairy farm owned by Max and Minnie Voelcker. A total of 311 acres out of this homestead is now the site of one of San Antonio’s newest city parks. It is named for former Mayor Phil Hardberger, who led the city’s efforts to purchase the land from the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund.

The CLF is working in partnership with local architecture firm Fisher Heck Architects and the city of San Antonio’s Historic Preservation Office to make the restored barn eligible for recognition in the National Register of Historic Places.

“We envision a working farm with live cows — a place where we can all connect with our cultural heritage and better understand San Antonio’s original settlements,” says Zac Harris, chairman of the CLF.

Harris also heads up business development for local construction firm Joeris General Contractors Ltd. “CLF has a history of community service projects, but is probably our most ambitious one yet,” he adds.

Up next for the CLF: A “Barn Raising” fund raiser on May 14 that will help defray the costs of materials for the restoration.